I managed the resort for a year :) I have a pretty good relationship with them :) Im telling you it is way nicer and much more convenient. If they cant make the pricing competetive then it isnt going to happen anyway. I live in Knoxville, TN and NV was a damn near 2 hour drive for me, I could only imagine what it was for other people. Just figured this would be more convenient for pretty much everyone and also be more invitating for those who would like to include their families.

+1 to all of this

You'd think they'd listen to the locals... :icon_tup: :D

Being yet another local myself (live in Maryville, work in Knoxville), I would agree that being close to Pigeon Forge would definitely be a plus as far as women, children, and food options are concerned. This could also allow for a longer event if desired, as the activities available would increase by a long shot. However, you guys talk about being close to the Maryville side of the dragon and it looks to me like it would be atleast an hour drive, if not longer. That's assuming that you're going through Wears Valley, Townsend, and across Foothills Parkway. Just seems like a LONG way away to still be calling it the DEAL'S GAP Rotary Rally. My 2 cents :)

NV was already further from Deal's Gap than Fontana , but still not too bad of a drive to get up there ... PF would be at least an hour each way , depending on traffic ... I personally liked the fact that NV was secluded , and not in or around a bigger city , one of the attractions in my opinion ... yes , PF has more amenities , but I thought everything was just fine at this years event

Look what David Jerome has started... LOL!

As an organizer, its hard to find a place who's willing to deal with us and work with me. I would in NO way switch location unless there is a significant change in price and their willingness to work with me. Great thing about Nantahala is that I now know what to expect... which will save me GREAT deal of time next year!! Going to a new place has to go out of their way to accommodate me and all you guys... I am in NO position to spend as much time last year (or this years DGRR 08) for next..... Its just not worth my time as my time increases in value every year:)

At this point, I've told David what he needs to know and I'll await for his PM... I also don't want to keep waiting just to find out what the deal is.. So, I'm going to wait til end of this week to let Nantahala Village know about my commitment... If David can not provide me with a number by This coming Sunday, Then I'm just going to commit to Nantahala Village... Sorry David!

And for those of you coming from Knoxville area.. Trust me! I would love to have this event by where I leave. I understand it would be shorter drive for you but I have to pick a location not just by distance but how they are going to treat me. Nantahala Village has really surprised me and this point, something drastic has to happen for me to switch!

To me, the drive to the village from the Dragon was nearly as fun as the Dragon itself.

Going to a less rural area wouldn't appeal to me. The seclusion as mentioned was very nice and the scenic curvey roads you have to take to get to the Gap were more leisure then anything else.

I really enjoyed the place and the event where it happened this year. To me, complaints about distant driven from people who live less then three hours away is moot. I drove 8+ hours just to do the event plus see the Gap and the roads around it. I don't want to be stuck in some city battling moron's in in traffic with their Camry's to go shoot the gap :)

My personal vote would be for Natahala. Beautiful scenery, beautiful cabins, great food and good people!

We are just trying to show you guys the light, I could personally care less. I figured most rotor heads are like me and adrenaline junkies. We would have the cable system on site to swing from at 50mph, great food, much nicer facilities and roads. NV wasnt bad by any means, however, it is no where near on the same level as the place I am recommending. I know that I personally paid 11.00 to eat two biscuits with gravy at NV and thought to myself, "I guess that is the price you can charge when you have no competition in 15 miles"

I figured everyone would love the idea of go cart racing and the cable system, I must be out of touch with the rotary community :) Damn Haters :) J/K

Thats one thing I've already discussed with NV. They are NOT going to do buffet style and do made to order. People who did that on Friday really enjoyed it and paid alot less!! I thought there will be more people doing breakfast but most opt'd not to do breakfast..

Again, I'm not against potential place.. I'm worried, I'm going to spend TON of time re organizing and such.. Ive already made a trip up there last year to scope out the area and there were VERY few place who's willing to work and match NV.. As long as I don't have to waste more time and better.. I'll do it!

Well, obviously I can't make much of an educated guess without seeing the new proposed place. Also, I've only ever been to this DGRR at NV so I can't base this experience against past ones. I'm just trying to say that for what I came to see at DGRR (rotary cars, rotary people and the dragon) I got all I was after plus some nice scenery :)

Also, my feelings follow my hopes that Phil will continue to do the event and having done a few organizational events in the past, I know it can be more of a huge animal to conquer, so I see his point on saving time and making it easy by sticking with (what seems to have) done a fantastic job already.

Im waiting to hear back from them on a price, I just know how big the event already is and how large it could potentially become and if gets much larger NV can support it I dont think. I had a great time and no real complaints just trying to help Phil make it an even better event.

I agree completely , and I drove 8+ hours to attend this year ... NOT opposed to change though , if it's going to be better than NV , mostly the costs ... I had Breakfast at NV , Fruit Pancakes with a side of Biscuits and Gravy with Coffee for less than $10 ... there was a Breakfast Buffet that morning David , and they were charging a set price , maybe you didn't know about the Buffet price ?? :dunno: ... I was surprised at how cheap the Food was there honestly , I remember telling Phil that right after our meal ... Like I said , NOT opposed to change , but I enjoyed NV , and the drive through Fontana to get to the Gap ... I'm down for whatever guys :)

How the drive from your place David as far as fun/scenery and distance/time?

If it's where I think it is........it would be a VERY scenic drive..... fairly fun......but you would be 10 times more likely to get behind traveling tourists going 35mph ....and the ratio of passing zones to curves is slim. You would also be more likely to see law enforcement sitting on the sides of the road toward PF and Townsend taking people out 1 by 1.

I understand Phil's desire to work with the same place....... right now I'm spending my time trying to get this year's BOTD moved to NV rather than Fontana. Our vote was that NV's lodging, food, and prices were WAYYYY better!
That's right, you heard it here.....DGRR AND BOTD will both be held at NV :icon_tup:

<Rant ON:

What is all this whining and bitching about bringing the family and kids? The reason most of us are there each year, is for the love of the rotary and US129. The last thing we need is the family to tag along that is not supportive of our love for these rotaries, or nagging us because they are bored. I love my family, but if they are not interested in the event, then they need to stay at home and there will be other quality time. This is an event that celebrates the Rotary engine and US129 with the 311 curves that our cars were made to drive on, not Pigeon Forge and Dollywood.

Seriously if you were bored at any time, then you just don’t get it. I missed having an RX-7 there and driving it on the gap. However I still had plenty of fun knowing everyone was enjoying their rides across US129, and the times the guys let me drive their sevens. I wished I could have driven that JDM RX-3. WOW that would have been sweet.

I would think the majority who participate in this event each year, don’t really have unlimited funds and Phil has done a great job, making the package complete for a minimum price. Plus considering the people who drive the whole day just to get to the location and the price of gasoline, they probably aren’t looking to see how they can spend more money and probably appreciate that they don’t have to go driving around to go to a restaurant, just to wait in line and get lousy service. Plus the t-shirt is included! :)

I think each year has improved tremendously, when it was fine from the simple 1st DGRR in 2005. I’m with Phil in trying to keep with NV. They were very accommodating and I think this is the highest level of organization to be achieved without spoiling the intentions of the whole event. Lets try not to get to the stuffy level of the BMW and Corvette groups.
Rant OFF>

:driving: Zoom Zoom
Holly